Guest post by Catherine Mignone

I was the 2023 Philhellenism Intern at the program organized by Harvard University’s Center for Hellenic Studies (CHS) and the Philhellenism Museum in Athens. The internship provided curatorial training and research experience both in the United States and abroad in Athens, Greece. In Athens, I worked at the Philhellenism Museum. The Philhellenism Museum opened in 2020 and focuses on 18th-19th century art inspired by Greece and antiquity: The movement reflected not only interest in Greek Independence and its ideals but also broader social tensions and political aspirations in Western Europe.

CHS hosted the first component of my internship in Washington, DC. There, I used library and academic resources to build a bibliography for my project and develop a deeper familiarity with Philhellenism. I particularly enjoyed meeting the CHS fellows each day at lunch and learning about their projects and interests. I wrote biographies for artists featured in the Philhellenism Museum’s collections. This process included extensive research on the artists’ periods, experiences, and artistic inspirations. I also began work on captions for the Philhellenism Museum’s displays, researching each art piece. I also had the opportunity to explore DC’s architecture and museum collections, among them the National Portrait Gallery, George Washington University’s museum exhibition on Classical Washington, and the Renwick Gallery. At each museum, I would take note of the different curatorial tactics used in the displays and special exhibitions.

I had three goals in Athens: firstly to initiate a Museum podcast series, secondly to finish the public-facing captions for 30 or so artworks, and finally to explore the city’s archeological sites and museums. The podcast series consists of 7-10 minute episodes on topics ranging from the history of the Acropolis to specific Philhellenes and their support for Greek Independence. The captions are 100-250 word discussions of the displayed pieces: the Museum previously did not have extensive captions. I had the opportunity to visit the Acropolis, the Acropolis Museum, the Museum of Cycladic Art, the National Archeological Museum, the Benaki Museum, and many other incredible collections.

CHS hosted me in Nafplio for my final few days in Greece. There I joined Harvard study-abroad students to explore the region, including attending a performance of Medea at the Theatre of Epidaurus. This past summer, I not only acquired curatorial and educational training but also enjoyed a remarkable international experience. I really enjoyed my internship and recommend that you apply in the spring!

Catherine Mignone

Catherine is a sophomore at Harvard University in Dunster House studying the History of Art and Architecture and Computer Science. She found CHS her first year at Harvard, and looks forward to more courses in Classics throughout her time on campus. At Harvard, she is involved in athletics and the Advising Programs Office. She grew up in New York with her three sisters.

Museum of Philhellenism Summer Internship

This program, by the Center for Hellenic Studies and the Museum of Philhellenism in Athens, offers annually to a Harvard undergraduate one internship position which centers around curatorial training and interdisciplinary research on collections related to Philhellenism. The selected intern spends part of their time at the facilities of the CHS in Washington, DC, and part in Athens at the recently founded Museum of Philhellenism. Learn more about the Museum of Philhellenism Summer Internship.